Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

With the indulgence of the Chairman, I have two final questions. There is a proposal for enhanced co-operation to which 11 member states have opted in. Has an assessment been carried out by the Department or has it asked anybody else to carry out an assessment of what impact, positive or negative, enhanced co-operation on the basis of the proposal on the table could have for Ireland? I know an assessment was done in regard to the FTT generally but if the proposal proceeds what impact would that have on those states which have opted out of it?

There is a huge issue in terms of the Commission's legitimacy and accountability in that it should not have the power to have an independent revenue source. I would like to hear that the Government believes that this is an issue for it. I know it is outlined in the statement that the best way to fund is through the member states' contributions based on the model that is there. The FTT would be a major change if the Commission was to have an independent revenue stream. It does not have that political legitimacy. I do not believe anybody could dispute that because its members are not directly elected.